DESPITE a season of wild oscillation, Derek McGrath believes that Dublin arrive in Thurles on Sunday to face his Waterford team with "great unity of purpose".

"Just watching an interview with Dotsie (O'Callaghan) after the Limerick match, speaking about at half-time and the players saying to each other to make sure that last week wouldn't be their last training session together of the year, I think there is great of unity of purpose there and I think they have great confidence and momentum."

"They're probably two or three years ahead of us in terms of their trajectory in that they've won a Leinster Championship, they've won a National league and they've compete in two All-Ireland semi-finals," added the Déise boss.

CHAMPIONS

Waterford, League champions and having suffered their first and only defeat of the season to Tipperary in the Munster final, have "surpassed expectations", according to McGrath, though he's confident that the fall-out from their loss won't unhinge their season.